To that end, the present invention provides a tape dispenser for dispensing and cutting rolled tape from a hub on which the tape has been rolled, the hub being mounted in the tape dispenser. The tape dispenser comprises first and second half-shells which form first and second ends thereof. Hub-mounting means for the roll of tape are disposed within the tape dispenser.
The tape dispenser has a first, dispensing end and a second, cutter end, with the hub-mounting means being at the first end.
A first cutter member is formed and is integral with the first half-shell at the second end thereof.
The first cutter member has a plurality of upwardly directed serrations so as to define serrated cutting teeth at the top ends thereof.
There is a first slot and a retention land which are formed in the second end of the first half-shell behind the cutter member, with the retention land being spaced away from the cutter member by the first slot, and being closer to the first end of the dispenser than the first slot.
The retention land has a rear side which is remote from the first slot, and it is subtended by a downwardly and rearwardly directed stiffener wall located at the rear side of the retention land.
The first slot in the first cutter member extends from the end of the cutter member which is adjacent to the second end of the second half-shell when the two half-shells are assembled together to a distance such as to have a length which is less than the width of the cutter member as it extends across the second end of the first half-shell.
The first slot has a first edge which defines the front side of the retention land, and a second edge which is opposed to the first edge and which is situated behind the cutter member.
A first cutter retainer wall having a bottom edge, and extending downwardly and rearwardly from the second edge of the first slot, is formed integrally in the first half-shell.
So also is a second cutter retainer wall which extends forwardly from the stiffener wall in a position below the bottom edge of the first cutter retainer wall.
A removable second cutter member is provided and it is adapted to overlie the serrated cutting teeth of the first cutter member. The removable second cutter member has a plurality of serrated cutting teeth of the same size and depth as those of the first cutter member.
The removable second cutter has a first upwardly directed serrated wall which comprises the serrated cutting teeth thereof, a second rearwardly directed wall, a third downwardly directed wall, and a fourth rearwardly directed spring wall.
A second slot is formed in the region where the second rearwardly directed wall and the third downwardly directed wall of the second cutter member intersect. The second slot has a length such that the length of the remainder of the region where the second slot is formed, is not greater than the length of the first slot.
The fourth spring wall is curved upwardly so as to be lower at the outer ends thereof than in its middle region, so as to contact the bottom side of the second cutter retainer wall.
Typically, the retention land is upwardly curved.
The stiffener wall may have two portions, the first of which extends across the width of the first cutter member and depends downwardly from the rear side of the retention land. The second portion of the stiffener wall extends below the first portion and has a width less than that of the first portion.
Typically, the width of each of the first and second cutter retainer walls is substantially the same as the width of the first cutter member.